How Feedback works

Whenever you buy or sell something, you can leave Feedback about the transaction that reflects your experience with the buyer or seller. Your buyer or seller can leave Feedback for you as well.

Over time, eBay members develop a Feedback Profile, or reputation, based on the comments and ratings left by other members. The Feedback score is one of the most important pieces of a Feedback Profile. It's the number in parentheses next to a member's username and it's also located at the top of the member's Feedback Profile.

How are Feedback scores calculated?

For each transaction, buyers and sellers can choose to rate each other by leaving Feedback. Buyers can leave a positive, negative, or a neutral rating, plus a short comment. Sellers can leave a positive rating and a short comment.

These ratings are used to determine Feedback scores. In most cases, members receive:

+1 point for each positive rating

No points for each neutral rating

-1 point for each negative rating

What if I buy multiple items from the same seller or sell multiple items to the same buyer?

You should leave Feedback for each sale. However, we calculate the other member's Feedback score differently depending on whether the sales occurred in the same week. For Feedback purposes, we define a week as Monday through Sunday, Pacific Time.

If the sales occurred in different weeks

Each rating can affect the member's Feedback score by 1 point. A positive rating raises a buyer or seller's Feedback score by 1 point. A negative rating lowers a seller's Feedback score by 1 point.

If the sales occurred in the same week

Sellers: We raise or lower the seller's Feedback score by a total of 1 point, based on the total number of positives and negatives left by the buyer.

If the seller receives more negatives than positives from the same buyer in the same week, the seller's Feedback score is lowered by 1 point.

If the seller receives more positives than negatives from the same buyer in the same week, the seller's Feedback score is raised by 1 point.

If a seller receives the same number of negatives and positives from the same buyer in the same week, the sellers' Feedback score does not change.

Buyers: We raise the buyer's Feedback score by a total of 1 point, regardless of the number of positive ratings received within the week.

Why leave Feedback?

Leaving honest comments gives members a good idea of what to expect when dealing with other members. Leaving Feedback is also a way to express your appreciation for a job well done. Finally, if you are a buyer, you can help spread the word about a seller you like, and if you are a seller, you can help recognize and reward loyal customers, which encourages them to buy from you again.

Should I leave neutral or negative Feedback for a seller?

Feedback comments become a permanent part of a seller's record. If you are a buyer, contact your seller to try to resolve any issues before leaving neutral or negative Feedback. Please make sure that your comments are fair, based in fact, and relate to the specific transaction for which you received the Feedback request.

Can I leave more detailed Feedback for a seller?

As a buyer, you can rate your seller in 4 additional areas: item as described, communication, shipping time, and shipping and handling charges. These ratings don't count toward the seller's Feedback score. Learn more about providing detailed seller ratings.

Detailed seller ratings from the same buyer are counted in the same way as Feedback. Only 1 per week is included in the seller's score.

The fine print

Only registered members can leave Feedback. Buyers must wait at least 7 days before leaving a negative or neutral Feedback for a PowerSeller who has been registered on eBay for at least 12 months.

When a member is suspended, eBay removes any neutral or negative Feedback left by that member. If a buyer doesn't pay for an item, eBay also removes Feedback left by a buyer when the buyer hasn't responded to an unpaid item case and has received an unpaid item for that transaction.

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